Alumni
It's interesting, coming back. Seeing the freshmen look around in fear and wonder. Sophomores cocky with their newfound sophomore-itis. Juniors being their usual lazy, goofy selves. Seniors trying to corral the freshmen and keep the sophomores and juniors from scaring them too much. It's fun remembering what it's like. And it's good to see the people I used to think about all the time. People I still think about all the time.
But it's sad, too. I don't see them everyday anymore. From three-week-eight-hour-a-day band camp alone, we spend a minimum of 100 hours on that silly field together. And now, I only see them when I drive down home.
It's also interesting meeting the new freshmen. The people who have come to replace us. There's always one of three looks on their faces: An excitement and willingness to tackle the challenge of band and making new friends in a new school; A fear, a look of wondering, "What the Hell am I doing here and who are these freaks that somehow know my name?!"; And a confused, shy look of curiosity. Eventually they all lose their sanity and start dating someone else from the band. Hopefully.
I miss band. Not so much band itself, but the people from it, and the memories I made in it. The best years of my life. I have pictures, and my letter jacket, and their phone numbers and email addresses, but it won't ever be the same. I love them so much, I wonder how I could have ever said goodbye to begin with.
Ah, well. Life goes on. Soon these little freshmen will be where I am. Strange to think that I was one of them only five years ago...
